Hubert Westkemper e il suono degli spettacoli teatrali di Luca Ronconi

This article investigates the distinctive contributions of Hubert Westkemper to Luca Ronconi’s dramaturgical trajectory through the medium of sound design, with particular reference to productions realised in non-traditional spaces (Ignorabimus, 1986; Gli ultimi giorni dell’umanità, 1990), in open-air settings (Prometeo incatenato, 2002), and through the use of Wave Field Synthesis technology (Il Panico, 2013). An analysis of these works suggests the need to move beyond the conventional dichotomy between sound design as a theoretical discipline and sound engineering as a practical craft, acknowledging the extent to which these domains are frequently entangled and mutually constitutive in practice. Westkemper’s sound designs for Ronconi can thus be regarded as sonic performances, in which technical expertise, technological advancement, spatial acoustic sensitivity, an informed engagement with the surrounding soundscape, and aesthetic intentionality all collaborated together to support – or enter into a dynamic dialogue with – the dramaturgy, the physical presence of the actors, and the perceptual experience of the audience, ultimately contributing to the sonic architecture of each performance.